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While I appreciate your enthusiasm for San Francisco (it is my favorite city after all), I do you think you’re being quite unfair to Boston. If anything, San Francisco tends to be more gray looking than Boston with all the fog, especially in the summer. While Boston has a true summer with plenty of warm weather from June-August, San Francisco’s “summer” is often foggy and chilly. Try going to Ocean Beach in July, you won’t have much luck getting a tan. I was there for Fourth of July last year and you couldn’t even see the fireworks because of all the fog. The only time I’ve ever worn a jacket in July was in San Francisco.
fog rolls in during the evening...most days are sunny in the financial district...there are microclimates within the city itself
same way L.A area beaches look gloomy on days ... yet sunny in DT
I don't think SF is "trying" to be East Coast, but it definitely has an East Coast-style to it due to its extreme urbanity. There's nothing wrong with that. And I definitely agree that SF does urbanity better than most anywhere else in the country.
There are a few good reasons SF is often mentioned as resembling East Coast cities. The development of it not only was concurrent with the modern development of the major East Coast cities (as it is older than most West Coast cities), but it was largely built by East Coast transplants and was kind of set up as a West Coast flagship city of sorts when the West was being settled. Its always had much influence from back East, but its also about as California as you can get - at least in personality (in weather maybe not so much).
SF may have a good amount of East Coast influence, as it has plenty of influence from the rest of the West too. But it is its own entity by a long shot and is not trying to be anybody else. The people that compare it to European cities or East Coast cities or whatever else are almost exclusively outsiders/tourists or transplants. People from here don't live their lives trying to pretend they're from a different city or region, though we may look to see what other cities have and then improve upon what we have where it could benefit our city. But people from here generally are pretty proud to be from here and are not trying to be like anyone else.
Its funny, b/c on some threads I keep seeing SF being called "provincial" and elitist, while on others we're trying to be like other cities. Its funny how many varying opinions outsiders seem to have of San Francisco. I don't understand why it so often is viewed in such extreme ways. I agree with your assessment of it, and I don't know why its so difficult for some other people to just see it for what it is.
As for the OP, I think its a wash. If anything I guess I'd edge SF slightly past Boston (I voted for SF) just because its a little bit more dense, but that's really the only deciding factor in my eyes. Both cities are pretty comparable from what I know about Boston. I hope to be able to check it out myself one of these days b/c Boston looks and sounds like a great city!
Both cities are pretty comparable from what I know about Boston. I hope to be able to check it out myself one of these days b/c Boston looks and sounds like a great city!
This is what I don't understand. How can you vote in a poll like this, if you've never visited the cities being polled?
I've never been to both...that's one part of this website that needs to be accepted...most people haven't visited all the cities being brought up in this forum. Through pictures, stats, etc people form opinions about cities...they're often inaccurate, but that's the way it is.
fog rolls in during the evening...most days are sunny in the financial district...there are microclimates within the city itself
same way L.A area beaches look gloomy on days ... yet sunny in DT
Fog socks in the city more than just the evening.
I was there last August. I was staying south of San Jose where it was 100 degrees. My wife and I drove up to SF and it was 55 foggy Degrees.
I've visited. Many times. I have many friends who were born, raised, and still live there, as well as family. It is predominantly urban, way more than anywhere else in this country. However, there are still places where it is isn't uber-urban!
I've never been to both...that's one part of this website that needs to be accepted...most people haven't visited all the cities being brought up in this forum. Through pictures, stats, etc people form opinions about cities...they're often inaccurate, but that's the way it is.
So we can cancel out your and jman650 votes? jk
If it were 'which city has more history' or 'which city has more political influence' I can see it. But 'which city is more urban' I think you gotta pound a little pavement, so to speak.
This is what I don't understand. How can you vote in a poll like this, if you've never visited the cities being polled?
Because its a meaningless poll and there was no disclaimer stating there was a requirement of having visited both cities before commenting. At least I was honest. How "urban" a city is is an arbitrary determination. Its all opinion, until someone makes up some kind of point system to give cities actual official rankings in terms of urbanity. And even that would be arbitrary, so who cares? Its not like my vote for SF is somehow going to deter people from visiting Boston. Geez, get a grip.
I formulated an opinion based on what was available to me through pictures, videos, information online and statistics. Does all that count for nothing when attempting to answer this question? The OP didn't ask which city "felt more urban in person," it asked which one was more urban. As far as I can tell they're pretty well-matched. And that seems to be the popular opinion, so why are you jumping on me about giving my two cents? Most people that vote in these polls have never been to many of the cities they vote on. The polls are just asking peoples' opinions, its not like it actually counts for anything.
If it were 'which city has more history' or 'which city has more political influence' I can see it. But 'which city is more urban' I think you gotta pound a little pavement, so to speak.
Just my $.02.
Have you lived in SF?? If not then we can cancel out your opinion as well.
I mean if it takes so much personal experience in order to determine this (according to you), then you need to have spent an equal amount of time in each city in order for your opinion to qualify, okay? Since this seems to matter to you so much.
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